


Civic Responsibilities

by wordyanansi



Series: Tumblr Prompts [11]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Music, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5372555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordyanansi/pseuds/wordyanansi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>tumblr prompt: bellarke meet because they hate Christmas music.</p><p>It's November, and there's no excuse for carolling in November.</p><p>
  <em>“Nope,” she said aloud, as if declaring it would make the scene before her unravel. “Up with this I will not put.”<br/>“I agree,” someone said beside her, and she started, turning to look at him.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Civic Responsibilities

Clarke wouldn’t really count herself as a grinch or anything. She just… didn’t get Christmas. It had never made a lot of sense to her. Enforced family time and presents she never really wanted, and all the explanations had made no sense to her. And this year, Christmas seemed to start in November. Which made less sense than anything else about the whole charade. She was having some difficulty processing it, to be honest, as she stood in the mall, staring at the fake boughs of pine and red tinsel hanging from the ceiling. She wondered, momentarily, if she’d been in a coma that no one had mentioned to her and it actually was December. 

And then, she heard them. It started with the tinkling of bells. With dread in her heart, Clarke knew what was coming. The Salvation Army band and choir. The tell-tale bagpipe noises that used to make her scream with displeasure as a small child, and that adult Clarke still cringed at. She turned slowly, her face a picture of horror. She was right. Fucking Christmas marching band in god damned November. 

“Nope,” she said aloud, as if declaring it would make the scene before her unravel. “Up with this I will not put.”  
“I agree,” someone said beside her, and she started, turning to look at him. He offered her a small smile of apology, and gestured with his head to the disaster happening in front of them. “Assuming of course you were talking about whatever the hell they think they’re doing over there.” Clarke gives him a quick onceover. He’s good looking, tall, dark skin, and clearly on her team about this. So she nods in agreement.  
“It’s fucking November,” Clarke replies, disgusted. “November. Did I sleep through Thanksgiving?” He snorts, amused.  
“No you did not,” he replies. And then he pauses, his smile turning mischievous. “So, what are we going to do about it?” Clarke looks at him for a moment.   
“I feel like this is one of those true friend moments. You know, like ‘want to get arrested with me’? Or ‘help me move this body’. And I don’t even know your name yet,” Clarke replies. He laughs.   
“Okay, well, I’m Bellamy, and I promise there will be no corpse disposal,” he says. She makes a show of thinking about it, but she knows she’s in.   
“Clarke,” she says thoughtfully. “I notice you didn’t promise we wouldn’t get arrested.” Bellamy nods.  
“As a rule, I try not to make promises I can’t keep,” he replies, and Clarke’s pretty sure she’s going to jail, and she really doesn’t mind as much as she thought that she would.   
“So, what’s the plan?” Clarke asks. He tilts his head, considering.  
“I kind of want to steal that dude’s tuba,” Bellamy says. “Because that sounds like a good story. And they’re kind of loud and obnoxious.”   
“And heavy,” Clarke counters. “Also, really fucking expensive. Like several grand. I don’t think this guy’s stupidity should cost him several grand.” Bellamy nods.  
“Good point. What’s your idea?” he asks.   
“Well, I’d go with stealing that dude’s baton but he probably doesn’t need it to conduct. I’m thinking formal protest. There’s an art supply store three shops down and making a sign. You know, “No Elf November”, “Keep Christmas in December”,” Clarke comments. He grins at her.  
“I like it. Yes. Okay, art supply store. Lead the way,” Bellamy tells her. She looks at him for a moment, trying to gauge how serious he is about this. He looks pretty ready to do this for real.   
“When we end up in mall jail later, I’m blaming you,” Clarke informs him, but she leads the way to the art supply store, his laughter following. 

Thirteen dollars and forty-five cents later, they have two large pieces of poster board, a large black sharpie, and two glitter markers in red and green, and they’re sitting on the floor, their projects on a bench in front of them, creating their signs.   
“You know,” Bellamy says, working on his ‘No Elf November’ sign. “My sister always tells me I’ve got poor impulse control. What’s your excuse going to be when we’re thrown in mall jail?” Clarke taps the end of the sharpie to her bottom lip a couple of times, thinking.   
“Civic responsibility,” she decides. “My mother’s going to kill me. But I really do believe in this cause. I mean, come on…” she trails off, gesturing the gold bells hanging from shop signs and tinsel everywhere. Bellamy laughs.  
“Well, at least you’ll die for a worthy cause,” Bellamy teases her. “I promise to continue on the campaign when you die.” She smiles at him.  
“Thanks, I’ll bequeath the cause my savings so you have some money to lobby politicians with,” Clarke tells him. “And never again will elves be forced to work in November, will awful christmas music assail the ears of the innocent early, will Christmas be forced upon us before we even have the chance to be thankful for our families.” Bellamy laughs and her impassioned speech, and Clarke grins at him.   
“You’re a little bit insane. But I like you,” Bellamy says. “If you don’t die, I think we should definitely grab coffee.” Clarke grins.  
“Well, if I die I’ll haunt you. Make sure you’re keeping up the cause,” Clarke promises. “So either way, we’ll meet again. I’m finished. Let’s do this.”   
“Awesome,” Bellamy says, standing up. “Let’s go do our civic duty.”

 

Turns out, security response in Arkadia Mall is surprisingly efficient. They’re taken into custody and led to mall jail - which is really just like a weird waiting room with plastic seats - in under twenty minutes.   
“This is kind of anticlimactic,” Clarke says. “They haven’t even confiscated our signs.” Bellamy nods.  
“I was hoping people would be on our side. Fight the good fight and all that,” Bellamy agrees. “But no, apparently protesting a charitable organisation trying to raise money for the homeless doesn’t make you any friends.” Clarke snorts.  
“Yeah, we probably should have thought that one all the way through,” Clarke agrees. “But on the plus side, we’ve now seen the dark underside of the mall jail and I didn’t get made anyone’s bitch.”  
“And we’ve got a great story to tell the kids one day. I met your mother protesting Christmas carols in November,” Bellamy adds. Clarke looks at him, shock on her face, unsure if he’s serious or not. “I did, you know, ask you out. And you kind of said yes,” Bellamy elaborates.   
“Huh,” Clarke says after a moment. “You’re right. I didn’t really notice. Be rude to back out now. We did just get arrested together after all.” Bellamy grins at her.  
“Like I said, story for the kids,” he says, and Clarke laughs.  
“There is no way we’re telling this story to our hypothetical kids,” she says. “They’re going to get into enough trouble with us for parents.” Bellamy grins.  
“Yeah, it’s gonna be great,” he replies. 

 

Turns out, they don’t get a say in telling the kids. Aunt Octavia makes sure they’re fully aware of the dorks they have for parents at a very early age.

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I don't love this piece. But I can definitely imagine them trying to organise a protest of some description. 
> 
> And I really don't understand why Christmas is starting in goddamned November, there is no excuse, no logic, and no reason why it's a good idea! I mean, for crying out loud. I'm Australian, in Australia, and we don't have Thanksgiving, but like, WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER to start torturing me with Christmas carols or I'm not gonna make it to Christmas before I snap and kill someone over it. 
> 
> disclaimer: I have never protested the Salvation Army in a shopping centre. But I probably would. Fucking bagpipes.  
> [](http://wordy-anansi.tumblr.com>Find%20me%20on%20Tumblr</a>,%20I%20do%20take%20prompts.%20But%20probably%20not%20Christmas%20ones%20because%20I'm%20a%20grinch%20and%20I%20cannot%20handle%20Christmas%20fluff%20mostly.)


End file.
